Do a search below using the city or postal code search box if your city is not listed above.
Get dining news including restaurant closures and qualify for giveaways.
Small neighbourhood joint that serves up traditional Jamaican favourites.
One word says it all. WOW!! So happy to find Jerk Chicken in North Vancouver that is even better than the Jerk in Jamaica. As good as it gets is right. These guys really know their stuff. Spice was wickedly good. I have loved this style of food for decades. It was my wife's first time trying Jerk and she is totally hooked. Can't wait to try the Curry next time.
Wanted to check out this place for a while now, especially with all the good reviews but I live in burnaby and am rarley in north van. Well I was finally in the area and went there for lunch today. Wow! it was awesome. I wanted to try the curry goat but they didn't have it today, there's a blackboard of all the dishes they have, kind of like a fresh sheet I guess. So I had the oxtail, I had the large and it was huge, for $12 it came with rice and peas, and salad, and was the oxtail ever tasty! Just the right amount of heat (spice). It's a small little place, very clean and you order at the counter. I will definetley be coming back here soon.!
I'm not an expert in Jamaican food by any means but I know when food tastes good and this place serves it up right. My husband and I came here for dinner and ordered the oxtail and curry goat. Both were fall-off-the-bone tender, but still had some substance. Delicious flavours and a good spicy kick plus the portions are generous, something that is lacking at a lot of restaurants these days. The owner/chef was great with the service as well. Will definitely return!
This is a lovely litle place. It is small and clean and most importantly -the food is fabulous. We picked up the Jerk Pork to go and were absolutely thrilled with it. I t tasted just like Jamaica! We are looking forward to returning often and trying out the whole menu.
We had dinner at the Kingston Reggae cafe on Lonsdale before our evening Spanish class. As far as excellent representation of Jamaican food it was just an okay. We have spent a lot of time in Jamaica and there are better Jamaican restaurants around in the Vancouver area.
My wife had the Oxtail stew,,,warning ,,very hot and spicy..although she said it was very good
I had the Kingfish which was very dry...it had be precooked for sure.
Everything was served with baby greens salad and rice and peas. The rice was kind of dry as well.
Service was good, albeit we were the only people in there at that time, the fellow was very friendly though.
The menu is sparse,,,maybe 7-8 items for the day and that was it. Not much on the way of drinks a few pop and water and some Jamaican bottled drinks.
Would we go back,,,,well there are so many other restaurants on Lonsdale that warrant trying so I doubt a re trip to reggae cafe is in the works soon
99north
I ordered catering for my daughter's birthday party knowing that some really good chefs would be there and that they would appreciate some great flavours. Prince and the guys at Kingston 11 didn't hesitate to perform. The food was excellent and everybody was asking "where is this place". There were people in attendance who knows good Jamaican food and loved it and there were some people who were converted by the curried goat and Jerk Chicken. Thanks again Prince for the awesome time that we had today enjoying this food that you created for us. The food and the service was well worth the price. Today was truly an awesome day!
We have been coming to Kingston 11 for a couple years now. Although we don't live in the neighbourhood, we still make it a point to cross a couple bridges at least once a month to have their jerk chicken. The jerk chicken is that addictive.
The jerk chicken is by far their standout dish. The spice level can be intimiating, but there's also a heavy dose of flavour behind the heat. It's definitely not boring. I can usually still taste the flavours long after a meal - it's a refreshing, licorice-ey kind of aftertaste. The chicken is usually grilled like meat cooked on the grill should be, very moist and succulent, with nicely charred skin and flavours infused into the entire piece of meat. Not like some other places where the flavour is only skin deep. I find that a bottle of ginger beer (or two) helps with the spice.
Actually I find all the food here is delicous. The stew chicken, jerk pork (even spicier than the jerk chicken), oxtail, and curry goat are all excellent. I'm not into the fish, but I'm also not into deepfried whole fish in general. Good patties too.
I can't say I've never had a bad meal here. There's been a bad batch here or there, or once in a while the food would have sat around a little too long for my liking. But overall the food is excellent.
I am far from an expert on jerk chicken, but I can tell that this is good food. For frame of reference, I have tried jerk chicken in Toronto, Miami and Vancouver. The jerk was good in Toronto, but I still prefer Kingston 11. Not impressed with other Vancouver jerk places - Riddum n Spice, Lion's Den, that other place on Commercial Drive, The Reef and a couple others.
The food is great. Service is friendly and laidback. That's why I keep coming back time and again.
I really like this place, every meal I have had was delicious, the service is friendly and inviting, its not yet another Sushi place beside a Sushi place across the street from a sushi place on the North Shore and they have ginger beer in the cooler!! The only complaint I have is that the portions are a little on the small side for the price paid (This could be due to the fact that rent on Lonsdale is not cheap, I probably like/expect a larger portion than most and from what I can tell the ingredients used are top notch). If you are a fan of Caribbean food (or just great food in general) check this place out for sure, there is NOTHING like it on the entire North Shore.
What a let down. I live in Port Coquitlam and I picked up my daughter who lives in Vancouver to have a great Jamaican meal. This Reggae Cafe was recommended to me by my friend who lives in North Vancouver.We ordered ox-tail which came with rice and peas. The rice was dry and tasted as if it was cooked about a week before and the ox-tail was cooked with too much pepper. When I asked about getting some sort of salad I was told not today,
I’ve only ever had the jerk chicken, because I’ve had the real thing and I love it, and I’m constantly on the hunt for that amazing taste again. So…this place has a vague sense of jerk chicken spices, but it’s nowhere close to the real thing. Mainly I taste spicy…still, it’s a good deal, big pieces of chicken, lots of rice, and a so-so salad on the side.
This place is really cute…an inviting, warm interior. I’ll probably be back to try the other things on the menu, it’s a great place to just chill for a bit, and a little taste of jamaica is better than none.
I did a takeout order yesterday from the only Jamaican restaurant on the North Shore... I went there when it first opened up this summer and I have to say it's improved quite a bit... I had the Jerk Chicken with Rice and Peas. I asked the cook/chef to drizzle a little oxtail gravy on the R&P... No problem... He even threw some oxtail meat on the rice... Sweet! (that gets extra points for effort)... The Chicken skin was slightly crispy and had a nice kick from the scotch bonnett peppers... Just like it's supposed to be... The Rice and Peas were quite improved since the last time... The oxtail gravy was scorching hot! I hope this place makes it, because the owner seems like a nice guy and the food represents a much-needed tropical escape from the Winter blues...
Last Friday night was date night, and after a hot yoga class, me and the BF were starving. We'd been wanting to hit up Kingston 11 for a while and were really excited to finally try it out.
We were not dissapointed! When we walked in we were greeted by the sound of reggae music being played on a guitar and sung by a very telanted gentleman, and bongos played by the owner.
We went to the counter to place our orders, and sadly the jerk chicken was sold out, probably because it was already 8 pm by this time. The owner's adorably precicious dauughter informed be that "the jerk chicken is toooo spicy for youuuuuuuuuuu!" We settled on the goat curry and oxtail stew. We also ordered a beef pastry to eat while we waited. The pastry was delicous - flaky pastry and spiced just right. Our mains arrived shortly after, and we were blown away, particularly by the goat curry. It was so tender and delicious, the meat just fell away from the bones. The flavours were intense and you could really feel the "love" in the food. The portions were huge even though we ordered "small". If I had a complaint, the only thing missing was a ice cold beer. They are not licensed, but no biggie, the food stands on it's own!
While we were eating, we enjoyed the music so much that I couldn't help singing along. We were invited to perform, so after we ate, the BF took the guitar, I took the mike and we performed 2 songs, what a great time!
We will definitley be back, and encourage everyone to check Kingston 11 out - just a few blocks up Lonsdale Ave from the Seabus.
Highly recommended!
Nice little place for spicy good food but for the concept a little overprice once in a while it is fine the services was ok, food real Jamaica spicy flavor his owner a nice gentlemen came to us to chat. Nice decoration really colorful makes you fell like Caribbean style. Try to go early or late better service
Awesome food with some kick.
Watch out for the Jerk chicken/pork and the Oxtail... WOOOO need a fire hydrant to cool me off after but it is worth the pain.
For a more chilled selection try the Curry goat (my favorite) or the stew chicken, both are less than mild but still have much flavour to enjoy
They have some awesome Jamaican soft drinks. Ting and Kola are both fantastic
Ting is a mildly carbonated grapefruit drink and Kola is a very interesting beverage that has some similarities to good cream soda but you just have to try it, very sweet
I was dissapointed they didn't have any vegetarian food at the Kingston 11 reggae cafe. Nothing at all. I asked the lady at the counter and her answer was no. I've never been to a place that doesn't have a vegetarian option. It even said they had a vegetarian meal on their menu. Me and my boyfriend drove in a second time to North Van because we went on a Sunday when it was closed and it was sad that I couldn't eat there.
Prince, Thanks for great food and great service!!!
Love the way it's decorated, simple, bright, effective.
Very relaxed and the coolest owner chef ever!
If you haven't had Jamaican food, before, try the stewed chicken or the Jerk chicken. The meat is tender and moist. The jerk chicken has just the perfect blend of spices and herbs that makes up his own (or Grandma's own) special recipe.
This is home cooking for the soul. Mix it up with some gingerbeer or a bottle of "Ting" and you've got sunhine for lunch or dinner.
Went there for the first time today, and I'll definitely be going back. The place is super clean and brand new. I had trouble choosing between the chicken curry and jerk chicken so I ordered a combo which included both.
I received a large plate of food within 5-10 minutes and it was absolutely delicious. The jerk chicken is the best I ever had and the curry was fantastic as well. It's obvious they use high quality ingredients and take pride in their establishment. The food is also quite healthy here as well which definitely makes it easy to keep going back. The combo plate came with: rice & beans, jerk chicken, curry chicken and a green salad. The staff is also courteous and friendly. Definitely a gem and I will definitely be going back with friends.
Why is it that most of my reviews are motivated by people who slag good restaurants for personal reasons and usually only have a single review :)
Kingston 11's food is fantastic. Their jerk chicken and jerk pork are perfectly seasoned and have just the right ammount of heat.
The chicken stew and oxtail stew are also wonderful and they have a large assortment of tropical drinks to choose fron which compliment these spicy dishes beautifully.
Funny that the last reviewer disparaged the co-owners english when he can't spell at the level of a first-grader :)
Treat yourself to a wonderful meal and decide for yourself :)
Finally, we have a Jamaican Restaurant we can be proud of. The Kingston Reggae Cafe 11 serves a changing daily menu of meats that are Stewed, Curried or Jerked to perfection. The Stewd Oxtail, Jerk Chicken and Curry Goat are my absolute favorites. It's very hard for me to choose one dish so I usually get a combo of two items plus the rice and peas with salad. The Escovitched Red Snapper and Ackee and Salt (Cod) Fish are both mouth watering as well. I had a great Peas Soup one Saturday and a fantastic Jamaican Brunch on another Sunday. The Brunch was superb. The Ackee and Salt Fish came with two large dumplings, some fried plantain, steamed ground provision and Callaloo (Greens). The food is seasoned extremely well and it has some pepper in it. This is a word of warning to those who can't eat spicy food. Talk to them before you order and be prepared for some heat. This is the authentic experience. The owner and his wife are helpful and very friendly and my contact experience with their two other employees has been flawless. I can't even tell you how many times I have eaten there. This is my new addiction that I want to share with you all. My only wish is that they provide other paying options other than cash. Other than that, much thanks to the Prince of Jamaican Food for his efforts.
Having been to Jamaica and T&T several times for work, this is the real deal. Jerk chicken was perfectly made - nice and spicy served with rice and peas. Curry goat was also delicious. Goat was extremely tender. Owner is friendly and always asks how your meal was.
If you like real Caribbean food this is the place to go.
| 1. | Fiesta Filipino Restaurant (10 m) | |
| 2. | LoLo (33 m) |  |
| 3. | Starbucks (41 m) | |
| 4. | Subway (49 m) | |
| 5. | Sushi Bella (50 m) |  |
| 6. | Cafe Caribana (74 m) | |
| 7. | Raincity Coffee (84 m) | |
| 8. | Orange Door (87 m) | |
| 9. | Cheers Catering (95 m) | |
| 10. | Canadian Donair (97 m) |  |
